Contextual background to the rapid increase in migration from Zimbabwe since 1990

This paper provides a contextual background to and causes of recent emigration from Zimbabwe. With an estimated quarter of the population currently living outside Zimbabwe, migration from the country is unprecedented. The country is now ranked as one of the top ten migrant-sending countries in sub-Saharan Africa that include Mali, Burkina Faso, Ghana, Eritrea, Nigeria, Mozambique, South Africa, Sudan and the Democratic Republic of Congo. Periods of migration are divided into sections, beginning with the war of liberation (1960-1979) to 1990; 1991 to 1997 and 1998 and beyond. Migration was caused by inter-related factors ranging from political and economic instability, poverty, low returns to labour, unemployment, increased informalisation of the economy, fluctuation in prices of basic commodities and their erratic supply. Migrants from Zimbabwe are a diverse combination of people of all ages that include professionals, semi-skilled and unskilled workers, documented and undocumented migrants dispersed in countries in the region, predominantly South Africa and Botswana, and far-flung countries like the United Kingdom, the United States of America, Canada, Australia and New Zealand. Whereas in the past male migration was dominant, by 2000 women have migrated in almost equal numbers with men.Keywords: Zimbabwe, migration, causes, period, unemployment, political, economic and social instabilit

Adaptation to climate change: ASEAN and comparative experiences.

This is a book review of "Adaptation to climate change: ASEAN and comparative experiences", edited by Kheng-Lian Koh, Ilan Kelman, Robert Kibugi and Rose-Liza Eisma Osorio. The book is available for purchase from the publisher's website: https://doi.org/10.1142/964

Enhancing Botswana’s Environmental Performance by 2023

The Botswana government has claimed that it intends to enhance environmental performance by 2023. Certainly, this would be a laudable and much needed achievement, considering that Botswana is home to some of the world's most impressive - and threatened - species of fauna and flora. Importantly, despite having made this claim in 2017, the government of Botswana has not done anything to inspire faith in its commitment to enhancing environmental performance by 2023. This being the case, this paper measures the state's commitment to enhancing environmental performance by 2023 and also explores how such performance can actually be enhanced by 2023

Unstunting stunted public participation in the regulation of environmental protection.

Public participation in the regulation of environmental protection is key to the attainment of environmental protection objectives. Despite this, history shows that state officials have consistently stunted opportunities for public participation and thus compromised the attainment of environmental protection objectives. I argue that the reason behind this is the regulatory capture of these officials. I also consider that captured officials' central tool in stunting participation has been the misinformation of the public in order to dissuade them from participation, through manipulation of reporting on environmental protection by the widely trusted (and relied upon) news arm of the mass media. As such, I argue that the key to greater participation in environmental protection, which would fuel the attainment of objectives, is through the turn to delivering information through other means, most notably social media platforms, and in a manner that would facilitate participation

State accountability in Botswana.

In light of the importance attached to state accountability in modern governance, this paper evaluates the extent to which the state can be held to account for its decision-making in Botswana. It first proposes a tool by which to measure the quality of state accountability in states that purport to be constitutional democracies (such as Botswana). Applying the tool, the paper finds that quality of state accountability in Botswana could be enhanced, for example, through better accommodation of socioeconomic rights under Botswana's constitutional framework

The quality of Botswana's environmental protection regulatory framework.

This article explores why Botswana's environmental protection regulatory framework is failing to stem environmental deterioration. Based on the observation that such deterioration persists despite the fact that there is a framework in place, the discussion draws from experience with successful environmental protection regulatory frameworks around the world. The discussion establishes that successful environmental protection regulatory frameworks incorporate numerical quality and ecological standards, a command and control approach (with context-sensitive alternatives to account for the limitations of this approach), and credible enforcement mechanisms. This article measures the extent to which Botswana's environmental protection regulatory framework incorporates these elements. It identifies that the reason why the framework has failed to stem environmental deterioration is that it does not adequately incorporate these qualities and proposes how this could be addressed going forward

Predicting toxic heavy metal movements in upper Sanyati catchment in the midlands province in Zimbabwe

The study assessed toxic heavy metal concentrations in the upper Sanyati catchment in the Midlands Province in Zimbabwe and predicted their movements and potential impacts on ground water quality. Topographic surveying was used to determine borehole locations, elevations, hydraulic conductivity and water yields. Monthly ground water samples were analyzed to determine concentrations of Cr, Pb, Cd and Ni for a period of two-years. The results obtained for the wet season showed mean concentration levels of Cr, Pb, Cd and Ni at 0.25, 0.015, 0.042 and 0.031mg/L respectively. Dry season mean concentration levels for Cr, Pb, Cd and Ni were 0.15, 0.07, 0.06 and 0.025 mg/L respectively.  Water samples from boreholes located in areas where mining, mineral processing and agricultural activities were dominant, yielded the highest values of toxic heavy metals. Dilution Attenuation Factor (DAF) for each toxic heavy metal was calculated to observe metal behaviour along the contaminant path for each season. The results showed seasonal variation in the spatial distribution of each toxic heavy metal during the wet season between October to March and during the dry season between April to September. Overall, research results showed that concentrations of Cr, Pb, Cd and Ni were above the standard limits set by the World Health Organization.Key Words: Heavy metals; Hydraulic conductivity; Ground water transportation; Contamination; Attenuation; Photometry

Constitutionalism and the new Zimbabwean constitution.

Codified constitutions are arguably the most celebrated type of constitution in the world. This is probably because codified constitutions are contained in one document called 'The Constitution.' As such, they offer a primary and singular source from which 'constitutional' provisions can be gleamed, making such constitutions accessible and clear - to citizens and to the world at large. Beyond this, however, codified constitutions are also celebrated because of their symbolic value. Here, it is worthwhile to consider that codified constitutions typically emerge (and succeed) following an upheaval, the typical example of which is a revolution. As such, codified constitutions are celebrated partly because they represent the turn to new constitutional dispensations, in which things will be 'different' from the way they were previously. This symbolism is not to be discounted. Various states, most recently South Africa and Iraq, have relied on the symbolic value that codified constitutions hold as the backbone for the transition to constitutional democracies, which have united peoples across the nation and been regarded as a beacon of hope and change

Constitutionalism in Botswana.

There is talk of constitutional reform, led by the incumbent President and the ruling party, in Botswana. This is to be celebrated considering that the resident and his party hold the sort of majority in parliament which would allow them to easily subvert the constitution if they chose. Importantly though, the approach to constitutional reform preferred by President and the ruling party centres on drafting a new constitution. Based on the fact that global experience with constitutional reform efforts, which have met with varied levels of success, have established that attaining constitutional reform fundamentally requires more than the turn to a new constitution, this paper argues that the key to attaining constitutional reform is securing a recommitment to constitutionalism. Following from this, the paper argues that rather than focusing on drafting a codified constitution in the Botswana context, which would take long, if their goal is to secure constitutional reform, the incumbent President and the ruling party are better served by recommitting to constitutionalism in easily attainable ways that include changes to policy and legislation

Community-based natural resource management in Botswana.

Since the mid-1980s, Botswana has relied on community-based natural resources management (CBNRM) to incentivise communities to consistently choose environmentally beneficial behaviour as a mechanism for advancing conservation efforts. There have been some successes registered using this approach. However, the turn to CBNRM has not been as successful as had been hoped. Despite this, it is well acknowledged that CBNRM can play an important role in advancing conservation efforts. For that reason, the state is working to revamp the CBNRM framework so that it consistently yields beneficial results for communities and for conservation efforts. Against this backdrop, this paper relies on regulatory theory and experience with CBNRM in Botswana thus far to identify what it would take to establish an effective CBNRM regulatory framework in the country. It establishes that Botswana's CBNRM framework has failed to consistently secure effective CBNRM due to lack of a dedicated CBNRM law and inadequately resourced institutions. It therefore recommends the promulgation of a CBNRM law which has a community-centred approach and/or a rights-based approach, and setting up an institution that is adequately resourced charged with regulating CBNRM in Botswana